Apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel



'P. MEI UER, Jn. APPARATUS FOR FEED |NG .PULVERIZED FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23,1919.

' Patented Jan. 20, 1920. FIG. 2

FIG.1

IINIYENTOIR 2 W PI-rILIr Mariana, an, or PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS EUR FEEDING PULVEBIZED FUEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

Application filed June 23, 1919. Serial No. 306,110.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PHILIP MEIDER, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Feeding Pulverized Fuel; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel.

In plants adapted for the burning of pulverized fuel it has been customary heretofore to have a pipe circuit extending around the plant supplied from a suitable hopper containing the pulverized fuel, a fan be ing employed for introducing air to mix with the fuel which is delivered to the pipe circuit. In this way the air and pulverized fuel is mixed in the form of a cloud and is driven by the fan under pressure through the pipe circuit. This pipe circuit is tapped at different points to carry off a certain proportion of the combined air and fuel to furnaces located at different points in the plant. It has been customary to conduct the fuel from the pipe circuit directly by a single pipe leading to the furnace. Great difficulty, however, has been experienced, due to the clogging up of this pipe and the irregularity in the supply of the fuel to the furnace. If the pipe clogs up temporarily this obstruction may suddenly let go, and as a consequence the fuel will be suddenly injected into the furnace in a greater quantity than the furnace can take care of, and consequently there is liable to be an explosion or a flare-up which may not only do injury to the furnace but a flame may blow out through the openings in the fur nace and burn the workmen.

The object of my invention is to provide means for preventing this clogging up or interference with the passage of the fuel to the furnace. and at the same time provide for the uniform supply of fuel, so that there is an even combustion in the furnace and explosions or flare-backs are avoided.

To these ends my invention comprises the novel features hereinafter set forth. and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of my improved apparatus partly in section; Fig. 2 shows a portion of the main fuel line and the valve for controlling the supply to the furnace;

and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 2 designates the main fuel line or pipe circuit which is supplied with the pulverized fuel and air in the ordinary manner, so that the fuel is carried under pressurethrough said pipe circuit in the form of a cloud.

At the points where the fuel is to be tapped from the pipe circuit 2 for conveying the fuel to a furnace, said pipe is provided with the opening 3 and at said opening the baffle 4- may be employed to aid in directing the fuel as it is passing through said pipe circuit down through the open ing 3. A valve-casing 5 has the saddle 6' which partially surrounds the pipe 2 and U-bolts 7 have their ends passing through the flanges 8 on said saddle. Nuts 9 are screwed to the ends of the U-bolts to secure the saddle in place on the pipe 2.

The valve-casing 5 is located up close to the pipe 2 and is provided with the ordinary plug-valve 5 fitting in a tapered seat in said valve casing, and said plug-valve is close up to the opening 3 as indicated in Fig. 3, so that there is no opportunity of the coal dust clogging up around the valve and preventing the easy operation of same.

A lever 10 is connected to the valve 5, and a rod 10 is connected with said lever, said rod extending down in convenient position for the operator to operate said valve from a point below.

A short section of pipe 11 is screwed into the threaded seat 12 formed in the plate 13 secured to the lower face of the valve-casing 5 by nuts 14. This pipe section passes down through the elbow 15 and through the gland 16 screwed into the upper end of said elbow. To the connection 17 of said elbow is secured the casing 18 which forms a seat 19 for the reception of the damper-plate 20 operated by the rod 21.

The air supply-pipe 22 is connected up to the casing 18 and said air pipe is supplied with air under suitable pressure.

The pipe 23 is connected to the threaded portion 24- of the elbow 15 and said pipe extends to the furnace where it is connected to the elbow 25 with the short connection 26 leading into the furnace 27. The elbow 25 is provided with the cleaning-opening 28 normally closed by plug 29. The pipe 23 may be exten ed to any length desired in order to connect up with the furnace located in any part of the plant.

By my invention the combined air and fuel passing through the pipe circuit 2 is delivered therefrom when the valve 5 is opened through the opening 3 into the short pipe section 11. As this, pipe-section is comparatively small in diameter the fuel and air on leaving the same will expand as indicated in Fig. 1 and the air from the supply-pipe 22, the damper 20 being open, is delivered to the pipe 23 and meets the incoming fuel and air discharged from the pipe 11. This secondary air introduced in this manner mixes with the air and fuel delivered from the pipe 11 into the pipe 23, and said airwill have a tendency to swirl and mix with the fuel and air from the pipe 11, so that when the fuel arrives at the furnace it will be in such a form that it will burn like gas under uniform pressure and produce a veryhot even flame. By the use of the pipe 23 admitting the secondary air at a point above the discharge of the air and fuelfrom the pipe 11, all liability of the clogging of the fuel in its passage to the furnace is avoided, and an even uniform feed of the fuel is obtained, so that the fire burns evenly in'the manner of natural or producer gas.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel to furnaces, the combination of a main pipe for carrying the combined fuel and air, a comparatively short section of pipe communicating with said main pipe, a pipe surrounding said last-named pipe and extending to the fuel burning device or furnace, and means for introducing secondary air under pressure into said last-named pipe at a point above the outlet of said shortsection of pipe.

2. In apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel to furnaces, the combination of a main supply pipe for conveying the combined air and fuel, a vcomparatively short section of pipe communicating with said main pipe, a valve controlling the supply of fuel to said short pipe section, a pipe surrounding said short section pipe extending to the furnace, and means for admitting secondary air under pressure to said surrounding pipe at a point above the outlet of said short pipe section.

8. In apparatus for feeding pulverized fuel to furnaces, the combination of a main supply pipe for conveying the combined fuel and air, said pipe having an outlet, a plugvalve fitting close up to said outlet, a comparatively short section of pipe communieating with said main pipe, a pipe surrounding said short section pipe extending to the furnace, and a secondary air pipe communicating with said last-named pipe at a point above the point of discharge of said short section pipe.

In testimony whereof, I the said PHILIP MEIDER, Jr., have hereunto set my hand.

PHILIP MEIDER, JR. Witnesses:

JOHN F. WILL, SARAH F. ARMsTRONG. 

